Low-dose danaparoid sodium catheter flushes in an intensive care infant suffering from heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVE: Despite controversy about whether peripheral and central venous catheters should be locked with heparin to prevent catheter-associated clotting, the practice is widespread. We describe a severe side effect of the practice: a case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia occurring with catheter flushes using unfractionated heparin (UFH) in a 10-month-old boy successfully treated with danaparoid. Patient: A preterm-born patient (33 wks gestational age, birth weight 1200 g) suffering from VACTERL syndrome was repeatedly treated with UFH in the context of several invasive procedures.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in paediatric patients--a review of the literature and a new case treated with danaparoid sodium.

Unlabelled: The immunological form of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially life-threatening adverse reaction of heparin medication. It is mediated by multimolecular complexes consisting of platelet factor 4 (PF4)-heparin-IgG which bind to platelets via platelet Fc gamma receptors. Cross-linking of multiple Fc gamma receptors results in platelet activation, platelet aggregation and enhanced thrombin generation with a increasing risk of developing new thrombosis.